Nandina plant named ‘Sunset’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Nandina  plant named ‘Sunset’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; relatively small leaflets; dark purple-colored developing leaflets; dark green-colored fully developed leaflets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Nandina domestica.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNSET’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nandina plant, botanically known as Nandina domestica and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunset’.

The new Nandina plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of an unnamed selection of Nandina domestica, not patented. The new Nandina plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor from within a population of plants of the parent selection during the spring of 2009 in a controlled greenhouse environment in Boskoop, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Nandina plant by cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Boskoop, The Netherlands since the spring of 2009 has shown that the unique features of this new Nandina plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Nandina have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunset’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunset’ as a new and distinct Nandina plant:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Relatively small leaflets.     -   4. Dark purple-colored developing leaflets.     -   5. Dark green-colored fully developed leaflets.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Nandina can be compared to plants of the parent selection. Plants of the new Nandina differ from plants of the parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Developing leaflets of plants of the new Nandina are dark         purple in color whereas developing leaflets of the parent         selection are dark green in color.     -   2. Fully developed leaflets of plants of the new Nandina are         smaller than fully developed leaflets of plants of the parent         selection.

Plants of the new Nandina can be compared to plants of the Nandina domestica ‘Tuscan Flame’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,940. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Boskoop, The Netherlands, plants of the new Nandina differed from plants of ‘Tuscan Flame’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nandina were more compact than plants of         ‘Tuscan Flame’.     -   2. Developing leaflets of plants of the new Nandina were dark         purple in color whereas developing leaflets of ‘Tuscan Flame’         were dark green in color.     -   3. Fully developed leaflets of plants of the new Nandina were         smaller and darker green in color than fully developed leaflets         of plants of ‘Tuscan Flame’.

Plants of the new Nandina can be compared to plants of the Nandina domestica ‘Obsession’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Boskoop, The Netherlands, plants of the new Nandina differed from plants of ‘Obsession’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Fully developed leaflets of plants of the new Nandina were         smaller than fully developed leaflets of plants of ‘Obsession’.     -   2. Fully developed leaflets of plants of the new Nandina were         darker green in color than fully developed leaflets of plants of         ‘Obsession’.

Plants of the new Nandina can also be compared to plants of the Nandina domestica ‘Flirt’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Boskoop, The Netherlands, plants of the new Nandina differed from plants of ‘Flirt’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nandina were more upright than and not as         bushy as plants of ‘Flirt’.     -   2. Fully developed leaflets of plants of the new Nandina were         smaller than fully developed leaflets of plants of ‘Flirt’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Nandina plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Nandina plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Sunset’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of developing stems and leaves of a typical plant of ‘Sunset’.

The photograph on the third sheet is a close-up view of fully developed stems and leaves of a typical plant of ‘Sunset’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in three-liter containers during the winter in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Waddinxveen, The Netherlands and under cultural practices which closely approximate commercial Nandina production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 6° C. to 18° C. and night temperatures ranged from 1° C. to 10° C. Plants were two years old when the description was taken and three years old when the photographs were taken. In the following detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Nandina domestica ‘Sunset’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of an unnamed     selection of Nandina domestica, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 75 days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 110 days at 20°             C.         -   Root description.—Fine and somewhat fibrous; close to 161B             in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial evergreen shrub;             upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; moderately             vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 60.3 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 50.1 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 39.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 5 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 3.8 cm.         -   Aspect.—Erect.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous; fully developed stems, woody.         -   Color, developing.—Close to 146A tinged with close to 177A.         -   Color, fully developed.—Close to 200D. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; compound, tripinnate.         -   Leaves.—Length: About 30.6 cm. Width: About 30 cm. Shape:             Roughly deltoid.         -   Leaflets.—Length: About 3.2 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Narrowly acute. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper             surface: Close to N186C. Developing leaves, lower surface:             Close to 183C to 183D. Fully developed leaves, upper             surface: Between N137A and 139A; venation, between N137A and             139A. Fully developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A             to 138B; venation, close to 146A to 146B.         -   Petioles, leaves.—Length: About 27.3 cm. Diameter: About 2             mm.         -   Petioles, leaflets.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About             0.75 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to N137A. Color, lower             surface: Close to 138A. -   Flower description: Flower initiation and development has not been     observed on plants of the new Nandina. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Nandina have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind, high     temperatures about 35° C. to 40° C. and to be hardy to USDA     Hardiness Zone 7. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Nandina have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Nandina     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Nandina plant named ‘Sunset’ as illustrated and described. 